Thursday, March 21 2024, Robin Sears

 

  Upside Down Cakes

Recipe

I found this puzzle a little harder to solve than last week's, but at least the only round things in it are slices of pineapple (see recipe above). 😀  Today constructor Robin Stears returns after a 4 year absence to challenge us with a vertical theme.  These almost always have something to do with the order of the words or letters in the clue, which the reveal tells us ...

10. Desserts flipped after baking, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: UPSIDE DOWN CAKES.  Here are the themers, but you'll have to turn your head 90 degrees to the left to see the CAKEs in these fills ...

3D. *Act the mediator: SEEK A COMPROMISE. Today this might be clued -- "Negotiation strategy now out of fashion".

8D. *Illinois alma mater of Ronald Reagan: EUREKA COLLEGE.  It is also the home of the Reagan Museum honoring its most distinguished alumnus.

Eureka College Campus
300 E College Ave, Eureka, IL 61530

17. *"Malcolm in the Middle" actress: JANE KACZMAREK.  Malcolm in the Middle is an American sitcom series that ran for 7 seasons starting in 2000, running for 151 episodes. The series is a dark-humored family comedy that follows the Wilkersons, a dysfunctional lower-middle-class family, and stars Frankie Muniz in the lead role as Malcolm, a child prodigy. The ensemble cast included Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston as Malcolm's parents, Lois and Hal.  Apparently Lois had some anger management problems ...

You can relax your neck now and see that the CAKES are revealed to be UPSIDE DOWN ...
 

The rest of this stuff is RIGHT SIDE UP (well maybe not all of it) ...

Across:

1. Puzzle (out): SUSS.  It's what we do!

5. Synonymous: SAME.

9. Software glitches: BUGS.  I'm reminded of a few of the "rules" of programming --

"If carpenters built buildings the way programmers build programs, the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization".

"Any sufficiently complex program contains at least one BUG". This is the sine qua non for a program to be called complicated..

"If you find one BUG in a program, there are undoubtedly more."

Remember these rules when you read all the hype  about the highly complicated AI programs much in the news these days.  Oh,  and AI's BUGS are the least of its problems.

13. Leg joint: KNEE.

14. Slacks, slangily: TROU. Cutoff TROUSERS?.

15. Fall birthstone: OPAL.  OPAL is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·nH2O); its water content may range from 3% to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6% and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms of silica, which are considered minerals. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl, and basalt.  It's the birthstone of people born in October.

Opal

16. Thing: ITEM.

17. Wag: JOKER. A species commonly seen around the Corner, but I'm not naming any names. 😁

18. Like an unswept hearth: ASHY.

19. Watering hole where servers may wear leis: TIKI BAR.  The term TIKI is the Maori word for the first human. A TIKI BAR is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails.  These "watering holes" are a part of Tiki culture, an American-originated art, music, and entertainment movement inspired by Oceanian art with influences from Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean Islands, and Hawaii.

A typical Tiki mug

21. Animal Planet's "Crikey! It's the Irwins" co-star: TERRI. Terri Raines Irwin AM (née Raines, born July 20, 1964) is an American-Australian conservationist, television personality, author and zookeeper who is the owner of Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Queensland. She is the widow of conservationist Steve Irwin.

23. Dead __ Scrolls: SEA.  The Dead Sea Scrolls, also called the Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a set of ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period. They were discovered over a period of 10 years, between 1946 and 1956, at the Qumran Caves near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the northern shore of the Dead Sea, here ...

Dead Sea Scrolls Location

24. "The Memory of Trees" singer: ENYA.  I remember the miles and miles of woods behind my home, where we used to play when we were young.  As a first step toward building the ring road around Baltimore (I 695), those woods were cut down and turned into acres and acres of logs stacked 30' high.  Then we played by climbing up the piles and tunneling thru them for a few months. Then they were hauled away and gone.  I've never heard this piece by ENYA.  Thank you Robin.

26. Youngsters: KIDDOS.

29. Quote: CITE.  Coincidentally here are some quotes by Albert Einstein that I ran across just today.  He has often been CITED, so you may have already heard some of them ...

31. Linguist Chomsky: NOAM.  Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science.  OTOH, he has his critics.  Perhaps his most famous critic is novelist Tom Wolfe (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018) who, while not a linguist, did make over $60 million in his lifetime, so he arguably knew something about words.  In his book The Kingdom of Speech, Wolfe takes to task not only Chomsky, but another cultural icon that I've vaguely referred to in clue 70A below.  While Wolfe got a lot of heat from the intelligentsia for this book, it was rated by readers with a majority of the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐reviews, including mine. 😀

Noam Chomsky

33. Org. concerned with "forever chemicals": EPA.  They're not the only ones.

34. Language related to Czech: SLOVAK.  Some sources suggest that Czech has 94% of the intelligibility of Slovak meaning that if you have a strong base in Czech, understanding SLOVAK should be doable, but speaking it is another thing entirely.  I've always wondered why the musical opus that put Czech composer Antonin Dvorak on the map is called the Slavonic Dances and now we know.  He wrote 16 altogether and here is No.1, Furiant, C major, conducted by German maestro Wolfgang Sawallisch ...

36. SHO subsidiary: TMC.  The Movie Channel (TMC) is an American premium television network owned by Showtime Networks, a subsidiary of Paramount Global operated through its Paramount Media Networks division. The network's programming mainly features first-run theatrically released and independently produced motion pictures, and during promotional breaks between films, special behind-the-scenes features and movie trivia.

37. Yemeni port: ADEN.  Aden (Arabic: عَدَنْ, romanized: ʿAdan, Old South Arabian: 𐩲𐩵𐩬) is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. With its strategic location on the coastline, Aden serves as a gateway between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, making it a crucial maritime hub connecting Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
 

Aden, Yemen
Gulf of Aden

38. Residence: HOME.

39. Pal: AMIGO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

41. F-150 maker: FORD.  Great trucks.  We recently gave ours to our son.  Given the amount we were using it it just didn't justify the insurance costs.  When we need it we just borrow it back from him -- along with a grandson (or granddaughter) to do the heavy lifting. It looked sort of like this (without the view)...

42. Catch: ESPY.  Also the name of a sports award

43. Spy-fi org.: CIA.  AKA "The Company".

44. Breathing room: LEEWAY.

46. Unceasingly, in poetry: EER. 

47. Policy pro: CZAR.

48. Home turf?: LAWN.  Also a type of fabric.

49. President __: PRO TEM.  The president pro tempore of the United States Senate (often shortened to president PRO TEM) is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the vice president. According to Article One, Section Three of the United States Constitution, the vice president of the United States is the president of the Senate (despite not being a senator), and the Senate must choose a president pro tempore to act in the vice president's absence.   The Honorable Patty Murphy of Washington is the incumbent PRO TEM of the Senate.

Senator Patricia Lynn Murray

51. Pedicure targets: TOES.  And a CSO to Lucina.

53. Saturn or Mercury: CAR.  Not a god and not a planet.

56. Asia's __ Peninsula: MALAY.  The MALAY Peninsula is a part of Malaysia, a country of Southeast Asia, lying just north of the Equator, that is composed of two non-contiguous regions: Peninsular Malaysia, also called West Malaysia, which is on the Malay Peninsula, and East Malaysia, which is on the island of Borneo ...

58. Verification tool for online alcohol retailers, e.g.: AGE GATE.  One may have popped up if you tried to open 7D's website.

60. Not that: THIS.

62. Way to go: ROUTE.

64. Furniture retailer that sells FIXA tool kits: IKEA.  Two IKEA drawers in my office are jammed shut.  I don't think they have a kit for that.

65. Remove from power: OUST.  Should OUST be OUSTED from the crosswordese dictionary?

66. Lip: EDGE.

67. Clockwork part: GEAR.

68. __ of life: TREE.  The Tree of Life is a widespread archetype common to many religions, mythologies, and folktales. The tree of life is a common idea in cultures throughout the world. It represents, at times, the source of life, a force that connects all lives, or the cycle of life and death itself. Common features of various myths include supernatural guardians protecting the tree and its fruits that grant those who eat them immortality.

It's also a powerful way to model the evolution of life on Earth from simple to complex creatures and describes the interconnected nature of all life forms.

69. "Clue" actress Madeline: KAHN.  Madeline Gail Kahn (née Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999 -- her early death from cancer was a big loss to American comedy) was an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including What's Up, Doc? (1972), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), High Anxiety (1977), History of the World, Part I (1981), and her Academy Award–nominated role in Paper Moon (1973).  Here Madeline plays Mrs. White in Clue and we're treated to all her big scenes ...

Here's a bonus clip of Madeline Kahn teaching Grover to sing  -- compliments of Chairman Moe -- it popped up after his Muppets Letter S video last Friday. 

70. Systems of principles: ISMS.  There are many, many ISMS, but I can think of only one that consists simply of the name of a scientist + ISM.  Hand up if you can name a second one?

Down:

1. Funny sketches: SKITS.  Mr. Bean seems to draw a crowd wherever he goes ...

2. Loosen, as a bow: UNTIE.  A CSO to Jinx. 😁

3. [Theme clue]

4. Interstate rig: SEMI.

5. Tale: STORY.

6. Craft for the first couples cruise?: ARK.  Cozy clue. According to the Wiki there were 4 couples on the ARK: 💑💑💑💑..

7. Chandon's partner: MOET.  MOËT & Chandon (or simply MOËT) is a family business dating back to 1743.  Here's their website.

8. [Theme clue]

9. Scrabble surface: BOARD.

10. [Theme reveal]

11. Exasperated cry: GAH.  Exasperation lesson #1.

12. Underhanded: SLY.

17. [Theme clue]

20. __ test: BETA.  See 9A.

22. Lip: RIM.

25. Like the Dada movement: ANTI ART.  From a 2017 exhibit of Dadaist ANTI-ART at the Tate Modern in London ... 

The Art Critic
(1919–20)
Raoul Hausmann

The above image is Copyright: (c) ADAGP, Paris, although why anyone would want to plagiarize it I haven't a clue.

27. Judith Weir composition: OPERA.  Dame Judith Weir DBE HonFRSE* (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer serving as Master of the King's Music. Appointed in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir is the first woman to hold this office.  While I was tempted to include one of her operatic works, I decided instead on this lovely setting of the first seven verses of Psalm 42 - Like as the Hart that she composed for the Queen's funeral ...

* Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

28. Blondish: SANDY. 

30. Tony winner Judith: IVEY.  Judith Lee Ivey (born September 4, 1951) is an American actress and theatre director. She twice won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play: for Steaming (1981) and Hurlyburly (1984). She also received Best Actress In A Play nomination for Park Your Car in Harvard Yard (1992) and another Best Featured Actress in a Play nomination for The Heiress.

Judith Ivey

32. Astonished letters: OMG.

34. Subject of a late-night countdown: SHEEP.  🐑🐑🐑

35. Also-ran: LOSER.

37. Three or four: A FEW.

40. Soccer star Hamm: MIA. Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm (born March 17, 1972) is an American former professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the United States national team from 1987 to 2004. Hamm was the face of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, where she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels and helped the team win four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship titles.

Mia Hamm

45. Let (up): EASE.

47. Cartoon frame: CEL.

50. Officiate at a cook-off, say: TASTE.

52. Like some granola: OATEN.

54. First-stringers: A TEAM.

55. Brings up: REARS.

57. Jedi with an unusual speech pattern: YODA.  Nearly finished I think is this review.

59. Supermodel Hadid: GIGI.  Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid, born April 23, 1995, is an American fashion model and television personality. In 2016, she was named International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council.

Jelena Noura Hadid

60. Small fry: TOT.

61. "Ben-__": HUR.  Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace (an American lawyer, Civil War general, governor of New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, artist, and author!),  published by Harper and Brothers on November 12, 1880, and considered "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century".  It became a best-selling American novel, surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) in sales. The book also inspired other novels with biblical settings and was adapted for the stage and motion picture productions.   This first edition can be yours for only $30,000 ...

Wallace's book was the basis for this  award winning film starring Charleston Heston.  Here's the famous chariot race scene ...

63. Exasperated cry: UGH.  Exasperation lesson #2.

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

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As today is the 339th birthday of my favorite Lutheran Saint, I thought it appropriate to end with a little bit of Johann Sebastian Bach for the coming celebration of Easter.  Here's his Sheep May Safely Graze, from the Hunt Cantata, BWV 208, performed at the Toronto Bach Festival (and a CSO to CanadianEh!!)